114: The poisonous fire from the earth's core, the Dou Zun barrier!

In the underground cave, heat waves surged to the sky.

The roar of the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python shook the entire space, and a torrent of purple poison fire, like a breaching dam of lava, instantly engulfed Xiao Chen with terrifying power that could incinerate all things and corrode souls!

“Good timing!”

Facing this full-force strike comparable to a One-Star Dou Zun, Xiao Chen’s eyes not only showed no fear but instead burst forth with unprecedented brilliant light!

He had just broken through to Peak Nine-Star Dou Zong and urgently needed a hearty battle to consolidate his realm and test his strength!

This Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python was the perfect whetstone!

“Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Fourth Form: Falling Star!”

He roared, and the dark-gold battle axe phantom he held in his hands suddenly expanded.

Dark-gold light flowed over the axe blade, as if it truly carried the destructive will of a falling star!

He held nothing back, pouring all of his abundant Dou Qi (Battle Energy) as a Peak Dou Zong (Fighting Sect) Rank, his Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul power, and the primeval battle intent of the Xiao Clan bloodline into it!

“Boom—!!!”

The dark-gold axe aura violently collided with the purple poison fire torrent, unleashing an earth-shattering roar!

The entire cave shook violently, and stalactites from the ceiling fell like raindrops, crashing into the lava lake and splashing fiery rain everywhere!

The furious energy shockwave spread out like a tsunami, even scraping away a thick layer of the hard cave walls!

“Pfft!”

Xiao Chen’s body trembled violently, and he flew backward, slamming heavily into the cave wall.

A sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

His axe-wielding arms trembled slightly, his tiger’s mouth split open and bled profusely.

Directly clashing with a full-power strike from a Dou Zun (Battle Venerable)-level magical beast, even with his greatly increased strength, he still suffered a considerable shock.

However, that torrent of poison fire, which was enough to incinerate a low-star Dou Zun (Battle Venerable), was actually cleaved open by his axe!

Purple flames scattered, corroding deep pits into the ground, but failing to fundamentally wound Xiao Chen!

“What?! A mere Nine-star Dou Zong can withstand this Venerable’s poison fire?!”

The Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s lantern-sized snake eyes were filled with unbelievable horror!

Even a human expert who had just entered the Dou Zun (Battle Venerable) realm would not dare to directly take this strike of its!

This young human not only took it, but only suffered minor injuries?!

“Good beast! Again!”

Xiao Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his battle intent growing even more fervent in his eyes!

He used Illusory Spirit Steps, his figure flickering like a ghost, avoiding the poison fire python’s subsequent pounces, while continuously striking with his battle axe!

“River Severing!”

“Sea Splitting!”

“Splitting Sky!”

Condensed axe auras tore through the air, striking at the poison fire python’s vitals, such as its seven-inch mark and reverse scale, from various tricky angles!

He pushed the sharpness and versatility of the Heaven Opening Axe Intent to its limit, combined with the Power of Space he had initially mastered, making his movement technique elusive and his attacks impossible to guard against!

“Roar!”

The Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python was both shocked and enraged, its massive body twisting wildly in the cave, its giant tail sweeping, and poison fire spewing, turning the entire cave upside down!

It was, after all, an eighth-tier magical beast, equivalent to a One-Star Dou Zun, with strength, defense, and speed far surpassing Xiao Chen.

But Xiao Chen’s axe intent was too sharp, having a strong restraining effect on it, and coupled with his flexible movement technique, for a time, it couldn’t do anything to this young human!

The fierce battle lasted for an entire incense stick’s worth of time!

The cave was a mess, and the lava lake surged.

Xiao Chen had several new wounds on his body, and his clothes were tattered, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter!

Under this extreme pressure, his control over power became more refined, and his comprehension of the Heaven Opening Axe Intent became deeper!

Especially the use of the Fifth Form: Void Breaking, which became increasingly skilled, occasionally even able to draw upon a trace of the Power of Space to disrupt the poison fire python’s attack rhythm!

“I can’t drag this out any longer! This kid gets stronger the more he fights; I must end this quickly!”

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s eyes.

It suddenly opened its huge mouth, not to spew poison fire, but to fiercely suck the earth core poison fire suspended on the stone platform into its mouth!

“Buzz—!”

With the poison fire entering its body, the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s aura instantly surged!

The purple scales all over its body glowed brightly, emitting a destructive fluctuation that made one’s heart palpitate!

Its strength instantly rose to the level of a Peak Dou Zun (Peak Battle Venerable)!

“Human! To force this Venerable to merge with the poison fire, you can be proud!

Now, die for this Venerable! Poison Fire Burning Heaven!”

The poison fire python let out a deafening roar, its entire body seeming to transform into a purple sun, and endless poison fire erupted from within it, sweeping across the entire cave like a tsunami!

This attack was several times more powerful than before!

The space of the cave began to twist, seemingly unable to withstand this power and on the verge of collapse!

A fatal sense of crisis descended instantly!

Xiao Chen’s pupils contracted sharply; he knew this was a moment of life and death!

Hide? Nowhere to hide!

Block? He probably couldn’t block it!

“There’s only one way... I’ll risk it all!”

A hint of madness flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes!

Not only did he not retreat, but he actively charged towards the destructive poison fire tsunami!

At the same time, he made an extremely bold decision—he activated the heaven burning furnace Art, actually opening all the pores on his body and frantically devouring the surging earth core poison fire!

“Devouring heaven and earth, furnace refining fire! Refine for me!”

He actually intended to forcibly devour and refine this violent seventh-tier beast fire during the battle!

“Madman! You’re committing suicide!”

The Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python was furious and alarmed, not expecting Xiao Chen to be so insane!

“Sizzle—!”

Terrifying poison fire instantly surged into Xiao Chen’s body!

His meridians felt as if they were being pierced by thousands of poisonous needles, and his internal organs seemed to be thrown into a furnace!

An indescribable excruciating pain swept through his entire body!

His skin instantly turned charred black, and purple flames even ignited on the surface of his body!

If his physical body hadn’t undergone multiple Tempering (tempering) and far surpassed those of the same rank, and if he hadn’t had the Xiao Clan bloodline and the Indestructible Soul Armor protecting his soul, he would probably have turned to ashes in an instant!

“Ah—!”

Xiao Chen let out a painful roar, but his eyes were incredibly resolute!

He frantically circulated his cultivation technique, guiding the power of the fragment of the heaven burning furnace to form a huge vortex within his body, forcibly refining the invading poison fire!

At the same time, the dark-gold battle axe phantom in his hand not only did not dissipate, but became even more solid due to the outburst in this desperate situation!

Within the axe intent, the artistic conception of “creation” and “transformation” was stimulated to its extreme!

“Break and then establish! No breaking, no establishing! Open for me!”

Under the dual extreme torment of body and soul, and under the immense pressure of a life-or-death situation, the nine Dou Qi (Battle Energy) stars in the depths of Xiao Chen’s Qi Sea, which had long reached their critical point, suddenly emitted an unprecedented brilliant light!

Nine stars revolved, and a point of chaotic light in the center suddenly lit up!

“Crack!”

It was as if something had shattered!

A brand new, immensely vast power, like a sleeping giant dragon awakening, erupted from within Xiao Chen!

His aura instantly broke through the barrier of Nine-star Dou Zong, stepping into a completely new realm!

One-Star Dou Zun! Achieved!

The surging Dou Qi (Battle Energy) was like a vast ocean, washing over his limbs and bones!

His meridians and internal organs, originally scorched by the poison fire, were repaired and reshaped at a visible speed under the nourishment of this new power, becoming tougher and wider than before!

His soul power also surged, and the Spirit Realm Great Perfection soul barrier loosened, vaguely touching the threshold of the Heaven Realm!

More importantly, his perception of the surrounding space became incredibly clear, as if he could faintly control a trace of weak Power of Space!

“Dou Zun (Battle Venerable)... This is the power of a Dou Zun (Battle Venerable)!”

Xiao Chen felt the earth-shattering changes within his body, and a surge of heroic pride welled up in his heart!

He suddenly looked up at the horrified Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

“Now, it’s my turn!”

He took a step, and his figure instantly vanished from its original spot, appearing directly above the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s head the next moment!

This was not speed, but short-distance spatial teleportation!

The iconic ability of a Dou Zun (Battle Venerable)!

“Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Fifth Form: Void Breaking!”

This time, the dark-gold battle axe phantom slashed out, spatial ripples Ripples (rippling) at the axe blade, and a subtle black crack spread with it!

The axe light silently swept across the poison fire python’s huge head!

“Im...possible...”

The Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s roar abruptly stopped, its pupils filled with endless fear and disbelief.

A line of blood spread down from its brow, its massive body stiffened in place, and then, with a crash, it collapsed into the lava lake, splashing towering waves!

Its soul had been completely severed by the axe intent containing the Power of Space!

The eighth-tier magical beast, the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python, comparable to a One-Star Dou Zun, had fallen!

The battle ended, and the cave was dead silent.

Only the gurgling of the rolling lava and Xiao Chen’s slightly hurried breathing could be heard.

He floated in mid-air, exuding a powerful Dou Zun (Battle Venerable) aura, and the earth core poison fire that had invaded his body had been completely suppressed by his newly generated Dou Zun (Battle Venerable) power, being slowly refined by the heaven burning furnace and integrated into his Soul Heart Flame.

His Soul Heart Flame’s color became deeper, faintly tinged with purple, and its power surged!

“One-Star Dou Zun... I’ve finally reached it!”

Xiao Chen clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within his body, his heart pounding.

This leap was of extraordinary significance!

From now on, he truly entered the ranks of the continent’s powerhouses, gaining the initial qualifications for self-preservation and participation in the struggle for supremacy!

He slowly descended, collecting the Purple Scaled Poison Fire Python’s magic core and the now completely ownerless earth core poison fire.

These were rare treasures.

Afterward, he scanned the cave with his gaze, carefully probing with his soul perception, and after confirming there were no other dangers, he sat down cross-legged to consolidate this hard-won Dou Zun (Battle Venerable) realm.

He knew that in the outside world, an even greater storm awaited him!

And now, he had the confidence to face the storm!

“Heavenly Secret Ancient City... Soul Hall... I’m coming!”

Xiao Chen opened his eyes, his gaze shining brightly, and with a step, his figure merged into space, disappearing into the underground cave.

When he reappeared, he was on the outskirts of the Blazing Mountain Range.

Sunlight spilled down, illuminating his tall figure and his eyes as deep as the starry sky.

The sky of the Central Territory seemed to become even more turbulent because of the appearance of this newly advanced Dou Zun (Battle Venerable)!